If Sen. Schumer and the DSCC endorse and support an independent Joe Lieberman in the event that Ned Lamont wins the Democratic primary they are going to have hell on their hands. I don’t expect the DC establishment to be big boosters of Lamont’s candidacy (and I’ve made clear I wish progressive activists would bring the energy from that race to, you know, the rest of the progressive infrastructure) but for the DSCC to not support the Democratic candidate for Senate in a state?
That’s the sign of a party who actively wants to destroy itself.
I whole-heartedly agree. You can’t just go around endorsing candidates who aren’t members of your party.
Farris, considering that there isn’t any other not-Republican running for the Vermont Senate, this is a surprise why again? Not to mention that Sanders is quite popular with *the people* of Vermont (remember them?) Lamont has said repeatedly he will follow the will of the people and support Lieberman if Joe wins the primary, while Joe refuses to do the same.
But most importantly, I hope Lieberman’s apparent consideration of running as an independent if he loses the primary will put to rest the meme that he is “being run out of the party” because of his “pro-war” views. This makes it pretty clear that rank and file Democrats dislike Lieberman because Lieberman is second only to Bush in thinking he’s Louis XIV (”I am the state”) and that his seat is his by some God-given right. Why should Democrats support Lieberman when he clearly doesn’t seem to care very much about the will of his constituent voters and the good of the party?
I saw one poll that put Lamont at 40% to Liberman’s 46%. I don’t really trust it, but it’s heartening just the same. I also heard that the last time a party refused to support the person who won the primary was the GOP in Duke’s gubernatorial run. That’s anecdotal, though. Sanders is a different situation than a Lieberman/Lamont primary , because the Democrats aren’t running a candidate against him AFAIK.
I could imagine circumstances in which I wouldn’t want the DSCC to endorse the winner of the Democratic primary — say, if a racist or a LaRouchite won somehow. Clearly nothing like that it happening in Connecticut. Ned Lamont is a great candidate and, far from being an embarrassment, replacing Lieberman with him would be a benefit for the party.
Having seen Lamont at Take Back America, I think his popularity will only increase as more people have the opportunity to see and hear him. For Lieberman, on the other hand, history shows that the more he talks and makes appearances, the less people like him. So I can see why Lieberman is worried.
Joe Blow…
Nothing has changed. Not too much. Can the Democratic party survive with one less Democrat who wasn t much of a Democrat?
Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman, warily watching his primary challenger advance in the polls, must soon decide whether to s…
The Vermont Democratic Party has endorsed Rep. Sanders. There’s no Democratic candidate, and when he wins Sanders will be voting with the Democratic caucus like he has been in the House.
Kinda sad that Dems can’t even find one of their own to run in Vermont. That’s like Republicans deciding to sit out Alabama.